Burning Man 2012, by Mark Morford

August 22, 2013 3:30 PM

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Man meets mantis.

Man meets mantis.

Photo: Mark Morford

Man meets mantis. Photo-5079990.68712 - Beaumont Enterprise

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The completely lovely, humble, incredibly sweet artist David Best has built a few astonishing Temples for Burning Man over the years. Everyone loves them, adores him. Every temple he's built evokes deep, potent memories for anyone who experiences them. His work is unparalleled. No one expected him to come back one more time, although everyone sure as hell hoped he would. His Temple for 2012 was perhaps the most beautiful, enrapturing, and sacred ever. And that's saying something. less

The completely lovely, humble, incredibly sweet artist David Best has built a few astonishing Temples for Burning Man over the years. Everyone loves them, adores him. Every temple he's built evokes deep, potent ... more

You'll find more authentic emotional/sacred energy hanging around the Temple at Burning Man for a single week than in a dozen Catholic churches and 100 nutball fundamentalist Christian megachurches combined and flipped upside down and licked like an absinthe popsicle in hell. Zero dogma, too. Isn't that something? less

You'll find more authentic emotional/sacred energy hanging around the Temple at Burning Man for a single week than in a dozen Catholic churches and 100 nutball fundamentalist Christian megachurches combined and ... more

By the end of the week, every inch, every nook, every reachable space contains an offering, a note, a farewell, a sigh of love or sadness or tragedy, pain or loss or delight. You've never seen, or felt, anything like it. less

By the end of the week, every inch, every nook, every reachable space contains an offering, a note, a farewell, a sigh of love or sadness or tragedy, pain or loss or delight. You've never seen, or felt, ... more

By the end of the week, every inch, every nook, every reachable... Photo-5080170.68712 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Temple writings, offerings, mournings, meanings. Weddings, ceremonies, farewells, welcomes, announcements, breakups, greetings, releases. By the thousand. All burned on Sunday night in probably one of the most intense, somber, powerful outpourings of energy you will find in any sacred place anywhere in the world. This thing is supercharged. less

Temple writings, offerings, mournings, meanings. Weddings, ceremonies, farewells, welcomes, announcements, breakups, greetings, releases. By the thousand. All burned on Sunday night in probably one of the most ... more

Oh, there was lots of yoga on the playa. This was a weird little sculpture that played a looped recording of a strange female leading a strange class to no one in particular. Cool if you think it is.

Oh, there was lots of yoga on the playa. This was a weird little sculpture that played a looped recording of a strange female leading a strange class to no one in particular. Cool if you think it is.

Oh, there was lots of yoga on the playa. This was a weird little... Photo-5080176.68712 - Beaumont Enterprise

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All paths to the Temple.

All paths to the Temple.

All paths to the Temple. Photo-5080177.68712 - Beaumont Enterprise

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As the week went on, the Temple became covered in messages, art, mementos, quotes, obituaries, emotions, disires, mournings, farewells, longings, more intensely emotional power than any church you can name. By the end of the week, nearly impossible to walk around near its walls without spontaneous weeping. And look! No bleeding Jesus or judgmental God or leering male elders! Nice. less

As the week went on, the Temple became covered in messages, art, mementos, quotes, obituaries, emotions, disires, mournings, farewells, longings, more intensely emotional power than any church you can name. By ... more

As the week went on, the Temple became covered in messages, art,... Photo-5080178.68712 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Ahh, playa romance. It's hot and gritty, dusty and sweet. Just like love.

Ahh, playa romance. It's hot and gritty, dusty and sweet. Just like love.

There are no bad angles. There is almost no way to take a bad picture of the Temple. There is also no way to properly capture it all, do it proper justice. It's just that loaded, just that beautiful, Probably as it should be, really. less

There are no bad angles. There is almost no way to take a bad picture of the Temple. There is also no way to properly capture it all, do it proper justice. It's just that loaded, just that beautiful, Probably ... more

There are no bad angles. There is almost no way to take a bad... Photo-5080191.68712 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Right around sundown, heading to the playa from camp, the things you stumble upon.

Right around sundown, heading to the playa from camp, the things you stumble upon.

Right around sundown, heading to the playa from camp, the things... Photo-5080192.68712 - Beaumont Enterprise

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I know what you're thinking. Who hasn't had THIS dream?

I know what you're thinking. Who hasn't had THIS dream?

I know what you're thinking. Who hasn't had THIS dream? Photo-5080193.68712 - Beaumont Enterprise

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By the end of the week when the Temple burns (the day after the Man), every inch, every nook, every reachable space contains an offering, a note, a farewell, a sigh of love or sadness or tragedy, pain or loss or delight. It's breathtaking, very intense, and impossible to ignore. It's a free-form, open-ended, completely user-defined divine space. less

By the end of the week when the Temple burns (the day after the Man), every inch, every nook, every reachable space contains an offering, a note, a farewell, a sigh of love or sadness or tragedy, pain or loss ... more

By the end of the week when the Temple burns (the day after the... Photo-5080194.68712 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Kids love Burning Man. OK, not really. Maybe for a few hours. Like it's a giant, very weird playground. With lots of fire. And dust. And huge inflatable penises. And things no parent should try to explain. Yes, it's weird to see kids out there, even the kids of pseudo hippie hipster Burners. Maybe they think their kids will grow up all hip and open minded, like they're exposing them to wild good things at an early age so they'll be happy and funky and cool and not bitter uptight Republican jacknoses with bricks where their hearts should be. Hey, whatever works, right? less

Kids love Burning Man. OK, not really. Maybe for a few hours. Like it's a giant, very weird playground. With lots of fire. And dust. And huge inflatable penises. And things no parent should try to explain. Yes, ... more

The GF and I met the artist of this delightful little piece, name of Vico (I think). He was incredibly sweet and was thrilled we were taking pictures of his sculpture. It was adorable and touching. He was out there changing the balloon to the freshly inflated one you see here. less

The GF and I met the artist of this delightful little piece, name of Vico (I think). He was incredibly sweet and was thrilled we were taking pictures of his sculpture. It was adorable and touching. He was out ... more

The GF and I met the artist of this delightful little piece, name... Photo-5080196.68712 - Beaumont Enterprise

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The crowd watches the burn.

The crowd watches the burn.

The crowd watches the burn. Photo-5080197.68712 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Anubis. Egyptian dog. Enormous, striking, sort of wonderful. He burned on Friday during a dust storm.

Anubis. Egyptian dog. Enormous, striking, sort of wonderful. He burned on Friday during a dust storm.

Standard glory shot of the Man, daytime, nothing fancy but still quite impressive. Photos never really do BM justice, because you miss the smells, the sounds, the atmosphere, which counts for more than just about any other festival or event on the planet. less

Standard glory shot of the Man, daytime, nothing fancy but still quite impressive. Photos never really do BM justice, because you miss the smells, the sounds, the atmosphere, which counts for more than just ... more

My fave time of day: right around sundown, the air still incredibly warm, the playa calm and mellow as the Monaco goes cruising by under a full and pregnant moon before everyone heads to their camps to eat and prepare to come back out and cruise/party/dance/ogle the moon all night. less

My fave time of day: right around sundown, the air still incredibly warm, the playa calm and mellow as the Monaco goes cruising by under a full and pregnant moon before everyone heads to their camps to eat and ... more

My fave time of day: right around sundown, the air still incredibly... Photo-5080201.68712 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Just a little puff at sunrise. (Photo by the goodly Jon Travis).

Just a little puff at sunrise. (Photo by the goodly Jon Travis).

Just a little puff at sunrise. (Photo by the goodly Jon Travis). Photo-5080202.68712 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Merrill Lynch can eat it.

Merrill Lynch can eat it.

Merrill Lynch can eat it. Photo-5080203.68712 - Beaumont Enterprise

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This reminded me of the Bean in Chicago. Except spacier. And stranger. I have no idea what it was. I really should look these things up.

This reminded me of the Bean in Chicago. Except spacier. And stranger. I have no idea what it was. I really should look these things up.

I think these were called the Effigies, and they surrounded the Man at various points. There were at least a dozen or more (I really should look these things up), built by various burner communities from cities and countries all over the world. They burned early in the week, as hot precursor. less

I think these were called the Effigies, and they surrounded the Man at various points. There were at least a dozen or more (I really should look these things up), built by various burner communities from cities ... more

I think these were called the Effigies, and they surrounded the Man... Photo-5080210.68712 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Oh my God, El Pulpo! What a creation. Simple and awesome and breathed more fire than any other 10 sculptures put together. All armed pumped, the eyes bulged in and out, the jaws opened and closed and a huge poof of fire blasted out of his head (along with all eight arms). He was fantastic and we could not get enough. Very much a highlight and a crowd (and personal) favorite less

Oh my God, El Pulpo! What a creation. Simple and awesome and breathed more fire than any other 10 sculptures put together. All armed pumped, the eyes bulged in and out, the jaws opened and closed and a huge ... more

You want the most hardcore daytime dance party on the playa? You want to shake your ass like a madman in dusty, 100-degree heat to some of the most badass DJs around, alongside about 500 of your closest, sweatiest, dirtiest, most deliciously crazy friends? Then you go to the day parties at Distrikt. less

You want the most hardcore daytime dance party on the playa? You want to shake your ass like a madman in dusty, 100-degree heat to some of the most badass DJs around, alongside about 500 of your closest, ... more

You want the most hardcore daytime dance party on the playa? You... Photo-5080223.68712 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Inside the Man, looking up, night. I don't have any pix of the elaborate, and rather amazing, interior of the Man, an incredible, climbable latticework of planks, beams, joints, and paths that used no nails and was packed with bodies, mostly because I thought I'd return at some point to take more photos, and never got around to it. Such is the nature of the burn. less

Inside the Man, looking up, night. I don't have any pix of the elaborate, and rather amazing, interior of the Man, an incredible, climbable latticework of planks, beams, joints, and paths that used no nails and ... more

I only saw this once. Not because it vanished, but because BM is so vast there is simply no way to see everything and no matter how much you bike around, no matter how many days you're there, no matter what intentions you set to go find something again, you only ever see a fraction, a sliver - even of the big stuff. Amazing. less

I only saw this once. Not because it vanished, but because BM is so vast there is simply no way to see everything and no matter how much you bike around, no matter how many days you're there, no matter what ... more

I only saw this once. Not because it vanished, but because BM is so... Photo-5080225.68712 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Body air brushing, one of roughly 4,000 similar free offerings on the playa, from pedicures to ass branding, pickles to hand jobs, flogging seminars to a guy dressed as the pope who washes your hair. The range of offerings is what's most delightful, serious to sublime, silly to surreal. less

Body air brushing, one of roughly 4,000 similar free offerings on the playa, from pedicures to ass branding, pickles to hand jobs, flogging seminars to a guy dressed as the pope who washes your hair. The range ... more

Nearly everyone think it's hugely irresponsible to bring babies to the playa, largely due to the conditions (extreme dust, heat/cold, smoke, noise, etc) and I tend to agree. But this baby was strangely beautiful, magical. So who knows. less

Nearly everyone think it's hugely irresponsible to bring babies to the playa, largely due to the conditions (extreme dust, heat/cold, smoke, noise, etc) and I tend to agree. But this baby was strangely ... more

Thunderdome. Legendary. Run by the infamously grimy, super-goth metalhead camp known as Death Guild. They had killer dodgeball, jousting, crazy MCs and rockin' DJs. Terrible picture, I know. But oh so fun to climb, watch, scream. less

Thunderdome. Legendary. Run by the infamously grimy, super-goth metalhead camp known as Death Guild. They had killer dodgeball, jousting, crazy MCs and rockin' DJs. Terrible picture, I know. But oh so fun to ... more